With the popularity of games like Genshin Impact, the gacha genre has captivated millions of gamers online thanks to its addictive mechanics and reward systems.
Gacha games are a type of video game that involve the player spending virtual currency to get limited-edition or rare in-game items, characters, or equipment. Though not required, gacha games often have in-game purchases to entice the player to pull for what their heart desires. This mechanic, paired with immersive stories and vibrant art styles, has gotten gamers around the world hooked.
Looking to try out a gacha game? Here are ten of some of the best that are out right now, ranked from number ten to number one!
10. Genshin Impact
This seems like the most common answer, so let’s get it out of the way, shall we? In Genshin Impact, you play as the Traveler. After being separated from your twin, you and your flying guide, Paimon, travel through the seven nations of Teyvat in search of your lost sibling. Throughout your travels, you meet and befriend a variety of powerful Vision-wielding characters, while also unraveling the mysteries of this world.
In Genshin Impact, you pull for new characters that you can use during combat and exploration through a gacha system. There are two banners for characters: the limited banner and the standard banner. You can also pull for the limited-edition five-star weapons that are meant to be paired with the current five-star character featured in the limited-edition banner.
9. Cookie Run: Kingdom
Cookie Run may seem like an odd game to add to the list; after all, it’s the only game that doesn’t feature human (or at least human-like) characters as the focus. Instead, the characters focus on, well, cookies. In this game, gingerbread cookies are brought to life by a witch, and now they must escape from her evil clutches. It’s adorable and relatively easy-going compared to the other games on this list, which is perfect if you want a chill game to pass the time.
To progress through the game, you must accomplish different battles to surpass a level. If you wish to obtain new Cookies, Soulstones, Costumes, or Treasures, they you need to pull them from the in-game gacha system with the use of Mileage Points.
8. Pokémon Masters EX
Did you know that there is a gacha Pokémon game available on iOS and Android? This game is often overlooked in the Pokémon community, but don’t be fooled; it is fun and addicting to play! In this game, you are on the island of Pasio, taking part in the Pokémon Masters League. The goal is to win a series of 3-on-3 battles and emerge as the Champion.
Through the gacha system, players can recruit Pokémon trainers and Pokémons. With your sync pairs, you can take part in both single-player story events and co-op multiplayer events to win rewards and prizes.
7. Honkai Star Rail
Following in the footsteps of Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail was destined to succeed—and succeed it did. In this game, you play as the Trailblazer, who travels the world with the other Nameless aboard the Astral Express to resolve disasters caused by the Stellaron. Throughout your travels, you meet people of all walks of life who help you on your journey.
Similar to Genshin Impact, you can pull on either the limited or the standard banners to gain new characters to use. However, the main difference is that Honkai Star Rail utilizes turn-based combat, while Genshin Impact uses an RPG combat system. You can also pull for weapons, called light cones, through the game’s gacha system.
6. Fate/Grand Order
If you are a fan of the Fate/stay night franchise or immersive visual novels, then you NEED to play Fate/Grand Order! In this turn-based game, you play the role of Master. To beat enemies and battle, you need to summon your powerful familiars, known as Servants. As they take turns, you need to pick the right commands to be able to triumph in battle.
Now you might be wondering how you gather these familiars. Well, that’s where the gacha system comes in. You need to pull for your Servants to use them in battle. Additionally, each Servant has a story that the player can explore through a visual novel format.
5. Azur Lane
Have you seen the anime Azur Lane? Well, it was actually based off this gacha game! Set in an alternate version of World War II, the player uses a fleet of six anthropomorphic female anime characters that are based on warships to engage in side-scrolling shooter gameplay against AI-controlled enemies or other players. Who would have thought anime girls and war ships would match oh, so well?
The goal of the game is to have the strongest ships, which also ensures you have the strongest fleet against enemies. To do that, you need to utilize the game’s gacha system and build ships with Cubes and Gold.
4. Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space
Love JRPGS? Then you need to check out Another Eden. In this game, you play as Aldo, who lives with his sister Feinee in a small village. They live relatively normal lives. However, things take a turn when the Beast King appears, wanting to use Feinne’s dormant abilities to wipe out human-kind and leave the planet for beasts. While Aldo tries to rescue his sister, Aldo is whisked 800 years into the future after the relationship between time and space becomes warped.
As Aldo, you travel through different locations and beats enemies through turn-based battled. To gain more characters to join your party, you need to pull for them in the Star Dreaming Hall. To pull, you need to collect (or swipe your card) for Choronos Stones.
3. Tower of Fantasy
If you’re a long-time Genshin Impact player, then you might want to expand your horizons and try Tower of Fantasy. In this game, you play a wanderer who explores the planet Aida, which is contaminated by a radioactive energy called Omnium after a cataclysm that messed up the world’s environment. As you wander the world, you fight enemies through a hack-and-slash combat system.
Similar to Genshin Impact, the game makes use of a third-person point of view. However, unlike Genshin Impact, Tower of Fantasy is an open virtual world that relies on interaction between players. Additionally, the gacha is different too. On top of pulling for characters (called Weapons), you also pull for Matrices, which provide your weapon stat boosts and special effects.
2. Arknights
If you watched the anime Arknights: Prelude to Dawn, you should probably check out the game behind it all! In Arknights, the goal is to find a cure for oripathy, a fatal disease caused by natural disasters. Those who are infected are often persecuted due to the infectious nature of the disease. You play the role of “Doctor,” who controls a team of “operators” in the organization Rhodes Islands. As you seek a cure, you must find and defend your team from enemies.
To build your team, you must pull for the characters using in-game currency. Currency can be obtained through progressing through the game, login rewards, events, or in-app purchases. Unlike other games, Arknights does not pressure you to spend, as all the characters can be built to be strong and powerful regardless of rarity.
1. Goddess of Victory: Nikke
With a 4.6 out of 5 rating on Google Play and a 4.7 rating on the App Store, it’s no exaggeration that Goddess of Victory: Nikke is one of the most beloved gacha games out there right now. On top of being a gacha, Goddess of Victory: Nikke is a third-person shooter game. Making use of five interchangeable characters (Nikkes), characters are placed behind a defensive objective and shoot enemies by aiming their reticle at them.
To gain characters, you need to pull for them via the in-game gacha system. Similar to other games, Goddess of Victory: Nikke uses a gacha system that ensures the player a rare character after a certain number of pulls. Each character has unique combat skills that will help you win against the enemies.
(featured image: HoYoverse & Yostar)
